Do Your Thing, Babe
by thelinsteads
Summary: A series of one-shots all centered around Linstead.
1. Chapter 1

**After being inspired by a few other wonderful writers in the fandom, I decided to start my own series of one-shots centered around Linstead. All of the prompts are listed down below so be sure to stay tuned!**

 **A** _ **-**_ **Anniversary**

 _Hank was right about one thing when he said that she's been leaving a trail of broken hearts behind her since she was fifteen years old. She's never stayed with anyone long enough for an anniversary to be celebrated so when her first with Jay is approaching, she begins to feel the tightness in her chest that indicates panic because she doesn't know what to expect. Doesn't know what_ he _expects._

 **B - Book**

 _He's looking for a place to store their newly purchased cookbooks in the kitchen cabinets when he spots a volume that he knows without a doubt doesn't belong to either of them. He must have made a sound that alerted her in the next room because she's approaching him before he's decided what to do with it._

 **C - Crash**

 _He isn't paying attention to his surroundings when he crashes into a small, warm body that lets out a grunt of surprise as it bounces off his chest and onto the ground._

 **D - Destroyed**

 _It takes a moment before it really hits her. The sound of the door clicking shut wakes her up from the shock of what just transpired and then she realizes he's gone. And she's not sure if he's ever coming back. She nearly collapses under the staggering weight of that thought._

 **E - Engagement**

 _He isn't as nervous as he thought he would be when he calls Hank and asks to speak to him privately when he's free. With all the chaos that their every day consists of, this is one of the only things he's sure of. Speaking to Hank is merely a sign of his respect for the father figure in his girl's life._

 **F - Future**

 _They talk about it in the dark sanctuary of their bedroom when they're huddled close together before drifting off to sleep with smiles on their faces and contentment in their hearts._

 **G - Gunshot**

 _With her, the difference between her saying she's okay and her actually being okay is huge. It's the fact that she, for the first time, has openly admitted to him that she isn't okay that makes him follow her outside the bar while shooting a quick text to Adam to let him know._

 **H - Hank**

 _She comes to in a dark room and the stifling silence makes her head pound with the help of an excruciating pain she's suffering in the aftermath of whatever was used to knock her out. She can already tell without looking down that she's been restrained and so she gathers up all her willpower to remain strong because she can hear footsteps echoing outside the door._

 **I - Isolation**

 _They've reached hour two of being trapped when he starts to feel his limbs go numb. The last thing he wants to do is alarm Erin, though, so he keeps it to himself and pulls her closer._

 **J - Jealousy**

 _It isn't until he's been sleeping on Will and Nina's couch for a month that he realizes what the feeling gnawing away at his chest every time he sees them together is. He'd never had any reason to feel it_ before _and so it takes him by surprise the moment he recognizes it._

 **K - Kisses**

 _Those stolen little moments are what keep him going when they work tough cases. To know that they'll end their night with sweet kisses when they actually get a chance to go home and catch whatever sleep they can before they have to head back in mere hours later make the exhaustion worth it._

 **L - Loss**

 _If there's one thing they can relate to on a deeper level it's loss. They've both lost very important people in their lives - separately and together - but there's something about this time that feels different than all the rest. Something more deeply scarring._

 **M - Missing**

 _His first thought upon waking up is that something is wrong. Something is missing and all it takes is one look at his hand for him to come to the horrified realization as to what that is._

 **N - Nadia**

 _One late night, when the pain no longer feels as crippling, she asks him as they lay in bed what he thinks would have become of Nadia if she had never interfered in her life._

 **O - Oxygen**

 _She never knew she could be consumed with such need for another person. She had never needed anyone the same way she needed oxygen but he was the air she breathed. He was her sweet release._

 **P - Past**

 _Sometimes, late at night when she watches his peaceful face to stop the buzzing of her chaotic mind, she wonders how he can know so much about her past and still regard her as the best person he has ever met._

 **Q - Quirky**

 _Jay Halstead is many things and it's not until they start living together that she realizes there is one word that she never thought could be used to describe him that encompasses who he is entirely._

 **R - Rain**

 _Their first real fight as a couple is a total cliche. A part of her registers that while this is happening and enjoys it. Up until she met him she never even thought she would get to experience a real relationship let alone the cliches that sometimes come along with one._

 **S - Scrabble**

 _It's weird that a family board game has such a significant meaning in their relationship._

 **T - Touch**

 _One of his favorite things about her is the beautiful heart she has. On the streets and at work she is a badass, take-charge woman and he loves it. With him, she is tender and loving. No one would ever believe him if he told them but he's fine with that because it's a part of her he wants to keep for himself._

 **U - Understanding**

 _The look in her eyes the first time he tells her more about his time overseas and the thoughts that plague him every single day on the job confirm for him what she said that night he put the distance between them. Whatever it is, she can handle it._

 **V - Vest**

 _The first time he does up her vest for her, and she does his in return, the rest of the unit pauses their own monotonous motions and stares, unsure of what is happening. As time wears on, they are left alone to their little ritual because it gives them peace of mind and makes them work more efficiently to know that they have secured the one thing that can save their partner's life._

 **W - Wisconsin**

 _She would say she's not sure how she let him convince her to spend the rare long weekend they have off on a trip to Wisconsin but they both know she'll do anything he asks when he looks at her with unconstrained excitement shining in those baby blues._

 **X - XXXIII**

 _Birthdays had never been something she made a big deal of when it came to herself. For him, she was eager to find the perfect gift or do something great, especially the year before when she wasn't even sure if they were still together and thoughts of that boy had been torturing her non-stop; because he was the best person she knew and he deserved only good things._

 **Y - Yates**

 _She's finally at a place where she can think back on all the beautiful memories she and Nadia created in the home that was_ theirs _before it was hers and Jay's without guilt consuming her very soul when they land a case that makes her blood freeze in her veins._

 **Z - Zipper**

 _There's something satisfying about sliding down the zipper on a dress that he had been itching to get her out of from the moment she stepped out of their bedroom._


	2. A - Anniversary

The bullpen was unusually quiet after a long day that started ridiculously early in the morning but was well worth it when the end result was the case being closed before the sun disappeared beneath the horizon. With everyone doing their best to finish the required paperwork as diligently and quickly as possible, there were no sounds coming from the usually rambunctious team with the exception of a few questions asking for clarification of facts here and there, the scratching of pens and clicking of keyboards.

Erin momentarily glances away from the report she has almost completely filled out in order to check the date on her fact of the day calendar; it was something Jay had jokingly gifted her after he moved in that now resided on her desk which was home to little else aside from the basic work necessities and a framed picture of her and Jay that was the only thing allowed to be displayed so publicly that hinted to the more romantic side of their relationship. The number glaring back at her in large print above the much smaller fact of that day has her doing a double take because there was no way that could be right.

Jay, either being hyperaware of her every move as he always is or hearing the small intake of breath coming from her, pauses in his movements and looks up at her with concern flashing across his features. After a moment of hesitation she knows he catches, Erin flashes him a small dimpled smile to reassure him before finally writing the date at the top of her paperwork and piling it neatly into a folder to hand over to Hank on her way out. She begins gathering her things together while she waits for Jay to finish up so they can head home for the night, promising herself that she'll freak out later.

Once Jay is finished, they both head into Hank's office and stack their folders on top of each other before bidding their sergeant and the rest of the team goodbye and descending the steps away from the bullpen out into the cold Chicago night to hurry into the 300 and start their drive home.

"Babe," Jay says, finally breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between them as a result of the exhausting day they had. "Is everything okay?"

Erin appreciates the simplicity of his question. He somehow always finds the words that won't push her into defensive mode and get her instead to open up to him. She's not quite sure how to tell him what's on her mind, though, so she goes with a brief but truthful, "I was surprised by the date, babe, that's all."

Although he can tell something is bothering her, Jay lets it go because they are well past the early days of their partnership, both personal and professional, where he had to coax her to talk to him. He reaches across the center console to squeeze her thigh and rest his hand there to convey all of this to her. She seems to get it because when they're at a red light, she leans over to kiss him chastely and the twinkle in her eyes as she pulls away puts any doubts lingering in the back of his mind to rest. She'll tell him when she's ready.

They're both completely worn out by the time they get home but still curl up together on the couch with a beer each after they've changed out of their work clothes into something more comfortable in order to unwind from their hectic day before turning in for the night. Jay flicks on Sports Center to catch the highlights from the games they've missed that day as Erin takes the quiet moment to let her thoughts drift while she cuddles against him.

The reason for her earlier moment of surprise comes back to her and she does her best to keep from tensing so Jay doesn't ask any questions because she doesn't know how to explain her thoughts right now. Hank was right about one thing when he said that she'd been leaving a trail of broken hearts behind her since she was fifteen years old. She's never stayed with anyone long enough for an anniversary to be celebrated so now that her first with Jay is approaching, she begins to feel the tightness in her chest that indicates panic because she doesn't know what to expect. Doesn't know what _he_ expects.

Jay Halstead deserves everything good in life in her unbiased opinion, and even though she is secure in their relationship and has no doubt that he loves her, she still has her moments when she wonders if he is getting everything he needs from her.

She's a simple person, growing up the way she did made her that way but she doesn't mind it. She'd rather hang out with her boyfriend and their friends, their _family_ , at Molly's than go out to fancy dinners at restaurants that are not in the budget of two detectives working to pay off their now shared mortgage. She prefers the thoughtful little things Jay gives her at seemingly random moments when his only explanation is that whatever it is made him think of her to the expensive trinkets on gift-giving holidays that she knows make other women the happiest.

Erin knows that Jay is the same way but, with the way he tends to let her control the pace of their relationship so as not to spook her, she can't help but think there must be something he wants that he hasn't voiced because of her skittish nature in regards to anything to do with commitment. She doesn't ever want him to think that he can't tell her everything that's on his mind, including the things he thinks might scare her off. She needs him to know she's not going anywhere now that she's found him.

Jay leans forward to place his empty beer bottle on the coffee table before gently pulling hers from her hand to do the same, effectively breaking her out of her spiraling thoughts. He brings his other arm around her and squeezes her close to him before placing an affectionate kiss first on her forehead, then trailing down to her lips, making her look up into those often mischievous blue eyes she loves so much with adoration when they break apart. She doesn't know what she did to deserve this wonderful man.

"Few more minutes and then we can head to bed, babe," Jay says with a boyish grin that never ceases to make her heart flutter.

"You got it," Erin responds with a smirk that manages to show him a peek of her precious dimples.

It's when she turns her attention back to the television set that's currently showing a preview for the upcoming hockey season that she's struck with inspiration. She knows exactly what she's going to get Jay for their very first of what she hopes with everything inside of her is a lifetime of anniversaries celebrated together.


End file.
